Our mini-van climbed high into the hills of Rio de Janeiro leaving behind the glitzy malls and million-dollar apartments lining the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. We sped past a chaotic mass of ramshackle houses clinging precariously to the steep mountainside. We noticed the prevalence of armed police and our guide Ricci pointed out walls ravaged by bullets and covered in gang graffiti. We had arrived at Rocinha – Rio’s largest favela – and we were about to step into a world once firmly off limits to tourists.
Tag Archives: Tours
Urban revival – Bogota & Medellin
16 Mar
Mentioning that you plan to spend some time in the big Colombian cities of Bogota and Medellin usually causes a sharp intake of breath from all of those who have heard about their infamous reputations. For years, drug cartels, civil war and violent crime grabbed the headlines and now linger in the memory banks. But times are changing. Whilst we weren’t looking, these cities were evolving economically, socially and culturally. Much needed investment was being rapidly pumped into these hubs and the proud population was determined to make a difference. Today, Bogota and Medellin remain distinctly different in character – Bogota the historical and cultural heartbeat of Colombia, whilst Medellin is a modern hub of industry and commerce. One thing they do have in common is these über-cool metropolises are now on the up and crying out for exploration.
But which one is most worthy of your attention?
Wake up and smell the coffee – Colombia’s Zona Cafetera
3 Mar
Growing truly exceptional coffee is one of the things Colombians do best. In fact their coffee is considered to be amongst the greatest in the world so we fully expected to be left wide-eyed and shaky with the amount we intended to drink in the country’s renowned bean growing region, aptly named Zona Cafetera.
Finding refuge on Volcano Cotopaxi
11 Feb
National Park Cotopaxi is a paradise for people who love nature and have a spirit for adventure. The 33,393 hectare park is Ecuador´s largest protected area and offers a mixture of woods, lake-land and high Andean Altiplano which is home to an abundance of animals and plant life. The highlight of the park is the perfectly conical and snow-covered volcano Cotopaxi which is Ecuador’s second highest peak at 5,897 metres. Cotopaxi is the world´s fifth highest active volcano and whilst its last major eruption took place in 1904, scientists and seismologists now monitor activity very closely, just waiting for the next big one. The scenery rendered us speechless…for once! Cotopaxi had turned her headlights on and we were caught staring into the full beam feeling like we had the whole park to ourselves. Continue reading
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Torres del Paine – the ‘W’ trek
Visitors from all walks of life converge on the small hamlet of Puerto Natales to visit Chile’s and perhaps the Continent’s number one national park – Torres del Paine. Located in the Southern Patagonian ice fields at the end of the Andes, the park offers diverse wildlife and incredible mountain scenery, glaciers, lakes, rivers and […]
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